Transparent sphere with rotating balls therein



Jan. 28 1969 B. o so 3,423,872

' TRANSIARENT SPHERE WITH ROTATING BALLS THEREIN Filed Sept. 14, 1964United States Patent 136,561 us. CI. 46-43 Claims Int. Cl. A6311 33/00;(20% 27/08 This invention relates to a device intended for educationalor recreational and/ or physical culture use and one object of thisinvention is to provide such a device which is of a relatively simpleconstruction and which may be manufactured and marketed at a relativelylow cost, with such device being suitable for use by children and/oradults.

The device is intended to be held in the hand and manipulated bymovements of the wrist and/ or arms, in combination with body and otherlimb movements if desired, so as to effect movement of movable objectswithin the device in a required manner, with such movement requiring anelement of skill to attain and maintain, thus providing a device whichcan provide endless amusement when used for recreational purposes and anincentive to exercise when used for physical culture purposes. Inmodified forms, the device can also be used as an educational aid orscientific demonstration device.

According to the present invention, the device comprises a hollow bodyof transparent plastic material and if substantially oblate spheroidalformation, a handle protruding outwardly from one polar region of thebody at least one ball or like object within the hollow body, a ballreceiving means outside said hollow body, a passage between one polarregion of said hollow body and said ball receiving means, and trap meansin said passage for passing the ball from said body into said ballreceiving means or from said ball receiving means into said body.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of one form of the device wherein twoballs are contained within the handle, the device illustrated beingsubstantially transparent or semi-transparent and provided with aclosure cap (shown in cross section) for the handle and a removable trapunit (also shown in cross section) at the polar region remote from thehandle.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating how the device may bemanipulated and further indicates the orbital movement of the balls withthe hollow body.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of the polar region of the hollow body,remote from the handle thereof, in an arrangement having only one trapmeans.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view of the polar region of the hollow body,remote from the handle thereof, in an alternative arrangement havingonly one trap means.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary View in elevation illustrating one form of trapmeans.

FIG. 5A is a view taken along the line 5a-5a, the view looking in thedirection of the arrows.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view in elevation of another form of trap means,and

FIG. 6A is a view taken along the line 6a-6a of FIG. 6, the view lookingin the direction of the arrows.

In a preferred arrangement of the invention, a hollow body generallyindicated 1 is constructed from a transparent or semi-transparentplastic material and is of a substantially oblate spheroidal formation,i.e'., a spherical formation which is slightly flattened at its poles. Ahandle 2 which may or may not be transparent protruding outwardly fromthe hollow body 1 extends from one polar region thereof and issubstantially in line with the axis of symmetry of the hollow body 1.The handle 2 may be formed integral with and be permanently secured tothe hollow body 1 as shown in the drawings, or may be detachabletherefrom and preferably the handle 2 has a hollow interior which maycontain a ball or balls 3 and the like objects (as indicated in FIGURE1). Where the handle 2 is permanently attached to the hollow body 1, thehandle 2 may be provided with a removable cap 4 at its outer end tothereby permit removal of the ball or balls 3 from said handle 2.

The hollow body 1 may be provided with one or two trap means 5, a trapmeans 5 being disposed at the pole from which the handle 2 extends and/or a trap means 5 being disposed at the pole remote from the handle 2.In the arrangements shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 there is a trap means 5 atboth poles of the hollow body 1. The trap means 5 may be of variousforms and in one arrangement, illustrated more particularly in FIGURE 5of the drawings, may each be in the nature of a one way flap valveconsisting of a fiap 6, preferably circular, which has a peripheral edgeportion 7 hingedly connected to a wall 1a of the device at or near thejunction of the handle 2 to the hollow body 1 or (in an arrangement notshown) to a suitable base portion which is attached to the wall 1a. InFIGURE 5 the dotted outlines indicate a ball 3 passing through the trapmeans 5 with the flap 6 pivoted downwards about its hingedly connectedportion 7. In another arrangement illustrated in FIGURE 6, the trapmeans 5' has a base portion 8 which is connected to or forms part of thewall 1a of the device and from such base portion 8 extend a plurality offlexible fingers 9 which are normally disposed in a conical or conoidalformation, the apex thereof being directed away from the oblatespheroidal part of the hollow body 1' to provide an arrangement wherebya ball 3 can pass through a trap opening It) in one direction only. InFIGURE 6, the dotted outlines indicate the fingers 9 opened out allowinga ball 3 to pass through the trap opening 10. In still furtherarrangements not illustrated, spring or trigger operated one-way trapsmay be used.

As previously stated, and as shown in FIGURE 1 a trap means 5 can bedisposed in the polar region remote from the handle 2 whereby a ball orballs 3 can be inserted into the hollow body 1 and, in the arrangementshown in FIGURE 1, a detachable trap unit 11 is provided. The unit 11having the trap means 5 secured therein includes a removable end cap orplug 12, and the dimensions of the unit 11 are such that at least one ofthe balls 3 can be received therein. In alternative arrangements, twovariations of which are illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, a removable capor plug 13 and an opening to the hollow body 1 are provided at thispoint for the purpose stated. In FIGURE 3, the cap or plug 13 is a closeor snap fit in the opening whereas the cap or plug 13 in FIGURE 4 isscrew threaded and the opening is correspondingly screw threaded toreceive such cap or plug 13'. Both types of cap or plug 13, 13 arearranged to provide continuity of inner surface 14, 14' of the hollowbody 1, 1 in that polar region. The trap means 5 at the polar regionfrom which the handle 2 extends interrupts a communicating passagebetween the interior of the hollow body 1 and the interior of the handle2 and the arrangement is such that a ball or balls 3 can be passed fromthe interior of the handle 2 to the interior of the hollowbody 1 and/ orconversely passed from the interior of the hollow body to the interiorof the handle. In the latter case, it is preferred that thecommunicating passage be funnelled as shown in the drawings so that whenthe hollow body 1 is held in an upright position with the handle 2disposed downwardly then a ball 3 contained within the hollow body 1will have a tendency to be funnelled on to and through the trap meansand into the hollow handle 2. Similarly, where a trap means 5 and trapunit 11 is provided at the polar region of the hollow body 1 remote fromthe handle 2, as shown in FIGURE 1, then the portion of the hollow body1 adjacent such trap means 5 and trap unit 11 is preferably funnelled sothat when the hollow body 1 is held in an inverted position with thehandle 2 directed upwardly then a ball 3 contained within the hollowbody 1 will have a tendency to be funnelled onto and through the trapmeans 5 and into the trap unit 11.

It will be appreciated that such tunnelling, where used, should notimpede the smooth motion of a ball 3 spiralling into or on to a trapmeans 5 and should not therefore protrude into the otherwise naturalcontour of the inner surface 14 of the hollow body 1. Also the design ofthe funneling, and in particularly the mouth thereof, is preferably suchthat trapping of a ball 3 is positive and without bouncing While at thesame time the ball or balls 3 is or are allowed to orbit over a widerange of paths without distortion or deflection from such paths.

In using the present device, the device is held by the handle 2 in thehand of a user and a ball or balls 3 either passed directly from thehandle 2 into the hollow body 1 (where a trap means 5 is only providedat the handle 2 of the hollow body 1) or removed from the handle 2 andpassed into the hollow body 1 by way of the trap means 5 or opening (asthe case may be) at the pole remote from the handle 2. The device isheld with its polar axis inclined at an angle to the vertical asillustrated in FIG- URE 2 and by wrist, hand or arm movement, the deviceis then moved rotatively as indicated by the dotted outline of thedevice and arrows A until the ball or balls 3 within the hollow body 1commence movement in orbital paths such as those indicated by the letterB within the hollow body 1 and on the inner surface thereof, with suchorbital paths tending to be confined at or near the equatorial area ofthe oblate spheroidal hollow body 1. The object is to continuerotational movement of the device and thus keep the ball or balls 3moving in their orbital :paths and it will be seen that when the deviceis thus used the ball or balls 3 may be likened to satellites in orbit.

The arrangement and construction of each trap means 5 is such that thetrap means 5 can be opened by the weight of a ball 3 so that a trappinghazard will exist if the device is incorrectly manipulated. Also, whenthe device is no longer required to be manipulated and used, and if sodesired, it can be held in an upright position (either with the handle 2disposed downwardly or the handle 2 disposed upwardly depending on theposition of the trap means 5 which is arranged to receive the ball orballs 3 from the interior of the hollow body 1) so as to allow the ballor balls 3 to pass outwardly from the oblate spheroidal hollow body 1through the corresponding trap means 5 (which is preferably the trapmeans 5 disposed at, and communicating with, the handle 2). The ball orballs 3 can, if so desired be stored in the handle 2 when the device isno longer in use.

As previously stated, the wall of the hollow body 1 is preferablytransparent or semi-transparent so that the ball or balls therein can beeasily seen and such ball or balls are also preferably colored or haveluminance to add to the effect when the device is in use and so as to bedistinctly discernable through the wall of the said hollow body 1.

Furthermore, where the device is to be put to use for educational orrecreational purposes, the hollow body 1 is preferably decorated or hassome ornamentation and such ornamentation preferably includes asimulation of the planet earths land masses and continental shapes, asshown in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, so that when the device is manpulatedas aforesaid the movement of the ball or balls 3 within the hollow body1 simulate the movement of a satellite or satellites in orbital pathsaround the planet earth. The hollow body 1 is assumed to represent asatellite zone or orbital envelope around the planet earth, imagined atthe center of symmetry, and the ornamentation is a projection of thesurface features of this planet on to the zone or envelope. If sodesired, longitudinal and latitudinal markings can be provided inaddition to the above ornamentation and/ or other markings may be usedto facilitate the explanation of scientific phenomena and laws tostudents.

Thus, by this invention, a user can use and manipulate one or two of thedevices of this invention as desired and it will be seen that the usercan execute various motions of the body and limbs for recreational andfor physical culture purposes, it being envisaged that such motions canbe to the accompaniment of music particularly when the device is usedfor recreational purposes. Alternatively, by various modifications tothe basic form of this device, the device can be used as an educationalaid or as a scientific demonstration device instead of, or as well as,being usable for recreational and/or physical culture purposes.

What I do claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates of America is:

1. A device comprising a hollow body of transparent plastics materialand of substantially oblate spheroidal formation, said hollow bodyhaving a hollow handle protruding outwardly from one polar regionthereof, at least one ball within said hollow body, a passage betweenthe interior of the hollow handle and the interior of the hollow body,and means in said passage for passing a ball only in a direction fromsaid hollow body into said hollow handle.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a removable trap unit isprovided at the polar region of the hollow body remote from the handle.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 wherein an opening having aremovable closure is provided at the polar region of the hollow bodyremote from the handle, said closure being adapted to provide forcontinuity of the inner surface of the hollow body at said polar region.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which said last named meansincludes a one-way flap valve hingedly connected at a peripheral edgeportion thereof to the wall of the passage in proximity to the junctionbetween the hollow handle and the hollow body.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which said last named meansincludes a base attached to the Wall of the passage in proximity to thejunction of the hollow handle and the hollow body, said base having aplurality of flexible fingers extending therefrom normally providing aconical formation with the apex thereof being directed away from saidhollow body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 556,152 3/1896 Lawrence 273l11783,357 2/1905 Bissell 273- 2,515,346 7/1950 Jackson 46-43 X 3,101,9467/1963 Ebert 46-43 X 3,204,964 9/1965 Geary 273-109 RICHARD C. PINKHAM,Primary Examiner.

RICHARD W. DIAZ, JR., Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R.

1. A DEVICE COMPRISING A HOLLOW BODY OF TRANSPARENT PLASTICS MATERIALAND OF SUBSTANTIALLY OBLATE SPHEROIDAL FORMATION, SAID HOLLOW BODYHAVING A HOLLOW HANDLE PROTRUDING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE POLAR REGIONTHEREOF, AT LEAST ONE BALL WITHIN SAID HOLLOW BODY, A PASSAGE BETWEENTHE